The Shift2Rail Multi Annual Action Plan (MAAP) will play a central role in the establishment of future interoperable railway systems suitable for European society and environment. However, it is necessary to be aware of the novel possibilities that can enable an increasingly sustainable progress in this regard. TER4RAIL will identify and monitor new opportunities for innovative research and facilitate the cross-fertilisation of knowledge from other disciplines, at what is referred to as the Rail Innovative Research Observatory. Permanent contact with other relevant sectors will have a prominent role in importing disruptive perspectives from other disciplines and facilitating interactions. TER4RAIL will determine and assess the existing roadmaps that drive the future of railways and compare them with the interpretations obtained from the observatory. This analysis will indicate the gaps that require to be covered and serve as the anchor for the prospective roadmaps. TER4RAIL considers railways as the backbone of future European mobility, as stated in the rail sector’s European Railway Research Advisory Council’s (ERRAC) Rail 2050 Vision published in December 2017, and therefore, it is necessary that TER4RAIL raise arguments that can sustain this essential system. To that end, data analysis and statistical reporting are foreseen and conducted. Finally, the work performed under TER4RAIL will be communicated to the transport community, liaising with the Shift2Rail communication team with a correlated communication strategy. A strategy of exploitation of the results will guarantee that these are properly employed in this area with maximum impact. TER4RAIL will be able to select and synthetize a considerable amount of information regarding railways’ futures and transmit them in a consolidated, improved, clear, and understandable manner. This should facilitate the realisation of TER4RAIL’s ambition of being the CSA of reference for the evolution of EU railways.

GOLIA will work on an integrated, interdisciplinary and Adaptive Mobility Smart Governance Model, relying on data-based, social optimum-driven approach and inclusive policy making processes to ensure an adaptive, accessible and just mobility system. By relying on the integration of STEM and SSH expertise and approaches, GOLIA will revolutionize spatial and mobility planning by co-developing and testing (with three European communities) the vision-led Social Optimum Mobility Index, based not only on economic variables but also on indicators such as social support, healthy life quality, freedom to make life choices. The index will be location and time-dependent to enable dynamic management of transport offer and spaces. GOLIA also aims at understanding: - to which extent and under which conditions, data generated by Smart Cities supported by AI-based tools and - novel communication and consultation channels and methodologies to engage citizens and stakeholders beyond mobility practitioners might foster the establishment of a new inclusive and adaptive mobility governance, able to deliver policies resilient to political instability, pandemics or any other more or less disruptive event, as they are co-developed, co-designed, and co-monitored by and for citizens and firms. Finally, GOLIA will support European mobility communities in ensuring a Sustainable digital and green transition, by providing policy makers with tools, methodologies and evidence-based recommendations to align local, regional and national transport and mobility plans to the European Green Deal and Sustainable Development Goals, enabling the gradual phase-out from car-dependency.

The TRANS-SAFE project will involve national, regional, and city level demonstrations to test different types of innovative and integrated Safe System solutions, complemented by a comprehensive toolbox, capacity development, policy support and replication activities. To maximize impact, the project brings together in a consortium, highly committed cities, road safety agencies and experts from both Europe and Africa. Building on numerous synergistic projects, networks, and a strong technical experience among partners, the consortium will deliver an ambitious project through highly effective and innovative approaches to sustainable road safety development, thereby ensuring that road safety systems and interventions from this project deliver on the recommendations of the Road Safety Cluster of the African-EU Transport Task Force, adopted in 2020. The consortium members have experience and expertise in Africa-related research as well as development-related research in collaboration with local actors in various countries of Africa at many levels. Ultimately, the project will help deliver on the Joint EU-Africa Strategy (JAES) and advance countries' progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).